Electrically heated brooder



July 7, 1931. D. B. TOLLEY ELECTRICALLY HEATED BROODER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6. 1928 Invento DOUd/c/ July 7, 1931. D. B. TOLLEY ELECTRICALLY HEATED BROODER Filed Nov. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICF;

DONALD B. TOLLEY, OF MACOMB, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR T AMERICAN STEEL PRODUCTS I (10., OF MACOMB, ILLENQIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELECTRICAL-LY HEATED BROODER Application filed November 26, 1928. Serial No. 222,054.

My invention relates to electrically heated brooders for chicks; and in its general objects aims to provide an electric brooder which vent a sweating of the chicks, which will neither subject the chicks to strong air drafts nor permit them to contact with unduly hot brooder portions, which will be eficient in proportion to the heat developed by the elec. tric heating member which will hold the heat for a considerable period of time after the current is shut off, which will fairly equalize the temperature throughout the brooder chamber, and in which the rate of air move ment can readily be controlled from outside the brooder.

' More particularly, my invention aims to provide an electric brooder which utilizes both radiation and convection as the means of distributing the heat of the heating memher through the brooder, and one in which a relatively fiat metal hover can be employed without an undue loss of heat by conduction from this hover to the outer air. It also aims to provide a double-shelled convection-producing arrangement so disposed with respect "to the heating member that the air moving through it will cool the outer shell thereby w preventing an undue heating of the central portion of the brooder chamber. It also aims to provide an electric brooder of these characteristics which will be inexpensive in construction and which can readily be tipped up as a unit for cleaning both the brooder "and the floor under it.

further objects will appear from the following specification and from the accomthe canopy broken away to show two of the ports which connect the brooder chamber with the upper air chamber.

Fig. l is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1, showing the fastening of the drum unit portions to each other and to the heatinsulated hover.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, my unitary electric brooder includes a plurality of legs 1 underhangingedge portions of a hover or heat deflector 2, which heat deflector preferably is of a relatively fiat conical shape so as to 'slope slightly upwards toward the axis of this heat deflector. This hover or heat deflector 2 forms the top of the brooder chamber, while curtains 18 depending from a wire 3 supported by clips 19 near the edge of the heat deflector form the peripheral wall of this chamber.

Mounted in the center of this hover 2 is a socket 4 for a detachable electric heater 5 which has its heating portion disposed axially of the hover and at a considerable height above the floor. This electric heater may be of varying types, but desirably is of a form in which the electrically heated portion (such as a coiled high resistance wire) is distributed with substantial uniformity around the vertical axis of the heater.

Surmounting the hover 2 is a canopy which preferably has a downwardly flaring frustroconical wall 3 supported at its edge by the hover or heat deflector 2, the wall 3 being of sharper angled conical formation than the said deflector, so as to afford a chamber 6 of considerable height above the heat defiector.

The top 7 of the canopy is desirably horizontal, and this top may support a socket 8 for a lamp bulb 9 exposed above the brooder and connected in circuit with the electric heater to serve as a pilot light for indicating whether or not current is being supplied to the electric heater.

The brooder chamber under the heat deflector is connected to the air chamber 6 by ports 10 in the hover near the periphery of the latter, and this air chamberhas air outlet ports 11 which desirably are in the central portion 7 of the canopy, so that the warm air in passing through the air chamber will have to follow tortuous paths. To prevent an undesirable passage of heat from the brooder chamber to the interior of the air chamber by conduction through heat deflector 2, which desirablyis'of sheetmetal, I cover this hover with a layer. 20 of a suitable heat-insulating material, suchas a board made of sugar cane fibre, and extend the ports through this heat insulation. V V Disposed within the 'brooder chamber, and

desirably suspended from'the hover 2, is a drumunit which serves the four-fold purpose v of affording aircirculation in effective directions within tlie'brooder chamber, of guard- :2), comprises an imperforate and upright fiouter drum 13 suspended by straps 24 from,

overheating'the floor under This drum unit (shown separatelyin Fig.

the hover, and an inner drum-14 extending below the bottom ofthe inner drum andfit ted with a bottom 15 of heat-insulating ma- ,terial; The inner drum is held in concentric a relationto thefouter drum by radial spacer" 17 above and near its heat-insulating bottom i 1 15, and the total height of the drum unit is preferably such that, with the straps 24,se'

arms 25 which desirably form extensions of thestraps 2l, so that the inner drum is also supported by these straps.

Air is admitted to the 1nner drum by ports cured at their upper ends to the hover, the

bottom of the inner drum will be somewhat iabo ve the floor 26 on which the legs 1 rest,

thereby allowing for warping or other irregf V g g guarding the chicks against scorching, and

avoiding a relatively high'temperature in the T5 110 ularities in-thefloor.

When'current is supplied to. the electric heater,the warming of the adjacent air by it will cause a; strong upward air movement within the inner drum 14, thereby drawing relatively cool air into this drum through the inlet ports 17 and causing this air to pass 1 laterally ofthe electric heater when issuing from the top of this inner drum, asshown by .7 the dotted line A in Fig. 1.. This heated air:

then spreads radially along the lower face of the heat deflector 2, and a little of the hot airwill pass through the ports '10 into the air chamber 6.

The heat deflector 2 is also heatedby direct radiation from the heating member, so that this heat deflector serves to redirect rays from the heating member downward outwardly of I the brooder, as indicated at B in Fig. 1. Be-' ing of metal, this heat deflector also conducts heat readily from .its centertoward its outer edge, thereby forming a warm heat-radiating top for the brooder chamber and assisting the air currents towards fairly equalizing thetemperature throughout thebrooder chamber. 7

At least one or" the drums desirably extends upwards beyond the lower end of the heating member so as to shield the chicks (when near the drums) from the direct rays radiated by the heating member. :7 V

The flow of heated'air from the top of the, inner drum radially outward over the annu lar air space between thetwo drums also tends. to draw air upward through the said air space, and this tendency is increased by convection owing to the warmingof the air in this space by conduction of heat through the metal of the inner drum 14. Consequently, there is a continuous upwardmovem'ent of 'air through-the said annularspace (as indicated at C' in Fig. '1)

and this air 'moves. radially outward underthe heat'deflector 2 so as to be'warmed also by radiation of heat from the'latter. Thisair movement not only enhances the generalQcirculation of air within the b-roo'der chamber, but also keeps the";v

.oute'r drum 1-3 at a considerably lower tempe'rature than theinner drum 14, so that the chicks will not be scorched by contact with the outer drum.

Furthermore, sincethe continually repleni ished air in the spacebetween the two drums is'heated by direct radiation ifrornthe'hot inner drum, the outeror guard drum never approaches the inner drum inits temperature. Consequently, the outward radiation 1 0 of heat from the outer drum 13 is small, so that I avoid having an intensely heated central portion (or hot spot) in my brooder "chamber, such as would be present if only. the innerdrum or shell were employed around-41 the heating member. 1 Thus my double drum or shell arrangement serves the threetold purposeot compelling the airto circulate,

tively small amount of .air passing through the ports 17 This chamber 6 also aflordsa convenient place for a thermostatic switchif one is used'for controlling the current, as a switch when disposed in this chamber is housed against tampering" or accidental injury and does not encumber the brooder chamber. (Since suitable switches and their connections are commonly'knowmnone has been shown inthe drawings). I r

To control the. rate at which air passes through theupper .air chamber 6, I preferably provide means for controlling theoutj lao let ports 11, as for example a rotatable damp-l or 28. This damper can be wide open when the current for the heating member is first turned on, but may be partly closed later on, so as to throttle the air movement and confine warmed air longer in the air chamber. The total area of the ports 10 leading from the brooder chamber under the heat deflector to the air chamber is preferably much smaller than the total area of the inlets of the two drums, so that only a quite small portion of the heated air rising through these olrums will pass direct into the air chamber. The remaining and by far larger portion of the warmed air recirculates within the brooder chamber and there intermingles with the small amount of fresh air which is drawn into the brooder chamber through the spaces under or between the curtains. Consequently, I secure a constant circulation of air throughout the brooder chamber and a continuous freshening of this air, both of which are important for the welfare of the chicks.

To reduce the conduction of heat from the hover to the canopy, I desirably have these parts contact only at their edges, leaving them otherwise freely spaced, so that the up per chamber forms an efficient air jacket for cooperating with the insulating covering of the hover in reducing losses of heat. Since this air chamber stores warm air and since 7 the curtains 18 afford lateral heat insulation,

my electric brooder will retain an ample warmth for considerable periods of time aft er the current is turned off, if the damper is closed, thus increasing the economy which can be eflected by the use of an automatic (thermostatic) switch.

The air circulation effected by my drum unit also permits me to use a heat-deflecting hover of large conical angle and hence of low height, thus cooperating with the above described movements of the air to prevent all banking of hot air in the apex of the hover, so that I can secure the desired temperature with ample uniformity of distribution in a relatively quite low and compact brooder.

Moreover, the use of such a relatively flat heat-deflector enables me to reduce the total volume of air in the brooder chamber in proportion to its floor area, thus securing a large heating effect in proportion to the wattage of the electric heating member, and the low average height of the heat deflector increases the effectiveness of the heat radiated downwardly by it.

By suspending the drum unit from the hover I not only insure an axial alining of the drums with the heating element but also make the entire hover a unit which can be tipped up on edge or inverted for ready access to all of the parts below the hover, there by making it easy for the user to keep the brooder in a clean and highly sanitary condition.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a brooder, a heat deflector, means for su porting the deflector at an elevation above a floor, a heater supported below and near the center of the deflector; and a drum unit suspended from the deflector above the floor and in aiineln'ent with the deflector; the drum uni-t comprising as a rigid assembly two concentric and freely spaced upright drums each open at its upper end, spacer elements radially spacing the two drums, means for suspending the drums from the deflector, and a closure of heat-insulating ma terial for the lower end of the inner drum; the outer drum being freely open at its lower end and having its lower end freely spaced from. the floor and curtaining depending from the outer edge of the deflector, the space between the curtaining and the outer drum below the deflector being unobstructed. 2. In a brooder, a metallic heat deflector having an effectively imperforat-e central portion, means for supporting the deflector at an elevation above the floor; a canopy above the deflector having its edge secured to the edge of the deflector, the canopy being otherwise freely spaced from the deflector to afford an air chamber therebetween; the deflector having ports near its outer edge leading to the said chamber from the space below the deflector; the canopy having upper outlet ports; a heater supported by and depending from the center of the deflector; and air confining means suspended from the deflector and adjacent to the heater for causing air warmed by the heater to rise in a hot central stream and in a less warmed annular stream surrounding the central stream and merging with the latter adjacent to the said central portion of the deflector.

3. A brooder comprising a relatively flat heat deflector, legs supporting the heat deflector at an elevation above the floor and with the outer edge of the deflector horizontal, an electric heater depending from the center of the deflector, a cup-shaped air directing member suspended from the deflector coaxial with the deflector and provided with relatively low air inlets and having its upper end freely spaced from the deflector; an

imperforate tubular and upright guard of larger diameter than the cup-shaped member and concentric with the latter and arranged for admitting air at its bottom to the space between the guard and the said cup- 1- space below the deflector, and an air cham- .111"

ber above the deflector; there being inlet ports radially outward of the said guard for admitting air from the said space to the air chamber and outlet ports in the top of the air chamber, the total area of the said inlet ports Lita ill)

being such as to admit air to the air chamber is admittedto the eup-shaped member andif I to thespace between the latter end the guard.

V, means;for-supporting the deflector atan ele-. 7 I vation above a floor, a top cooperating With theheat deflector to forlnan air chamber above the heat deflector, an electrio'heater be-c low the heat deflector; end-two upright and V radially spaced'drums having a corninon'a'xis in' substantially vertical: alinementwith the fla xis of the electric heater, each drum havlng 1 and both drnms being c formed for admitting" ports connecting the said chamber with the 1 i space below'the heat-deflector; and the'air 2 chamber having air outlets in its top-and out. :'0f vertical alinement With the said inlet ports.; 3 f Signed at Maeomb, Illinois, October 27th,:

- V DONALD B. TOLLEY.

4 jewel-09 atfaml ch-lowerratet a a' h c air,

5 4. A brooder oomprisingca, heat deflector; 1 '1 w itsii pper end: spaced fromthe heat deflector Y I air from near the floor; the heat deflector beif; '7 i ing provided nearits periphery with inlet 

